Jan 02

Photo-A-Day 2013: Week 31

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If those of you who’ve followed along have been wondering if my Photo-A-Day project was going to peter out and be left unfinished, the answer is a definitive, “NO!” Though the past few months have been unbelievably busy and some technological limitations have kept me from uploading and working up the photos from the year’s final four months, I am planning on pushing forward and making sure that all 365 images will make it on to this blog by the end of February.

To get started on that goal, here’s the next week’s worth of images dating from July 29-August 4. Remember, to see any image full size, just click on it!

29-JUL-2013: Pretty sweet wall inside the green room at the Hard Rock Hotel's appropriately named Vinyl nightclub. Vegas site checks can be fun!

29-JUL-2013: Pretty sweet wall inside the green room at the Hard Rock Hotel’s appropriately named Vinyl nightclub. Vegas site checks can be fun!

30-JUL-2013: A perfect Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium for a visit from the Yankees.

30-JUL-2013: A perfect Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium for a visit from the Yankees – and a different seat location upstairs.

31-JUL-2013: A special moment as Yankee legend Mariano Rivera faces Hanley Ramirez in his final appearance in Los Angeles.

31-JUL-2013: A special moment as Yankee legend Mariano Rivera, in his final appearance in Los Angeles, faces Hanley Ramirez.

1-AUG-2013: Hanging roses are just about dried and ready to return to a friend who was recently engaged.

1-AUG-2013: Hanging roses are just about dried and ready to return to a friend who was recently engaged.

2-AUG-2013: An incredible summer sunset sky looking down Broadway in DTLA.

2-AUG-2013: An incredible summer sunset sky looking down Broadway in DTLA.

3-AUG-2013: Found this somewhat old and foreboding sign inside the Alexandria Hotel on 5th & Spring in DTLA after having drinks at The Gorbals.

3-AUG-2013: Found this somewhat old and foreboding sign inside the Alexandria Hotel on 5th & Spring in DTLA after having drinks at The Gorbals.

4-AUG-2013: A very special throwback Sunday night treat.

4-AUG-2013: A very special throwback Sunday night treat.

Dec 18

Photo-A-Day 2013: Week 30

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I returned to SoCal for the week of July 22-28. And even with all the recent travel, I couldn’t wait to get away to Palm Springs on Thursday night for two days of doing absolutely nothing at all. Let’s take a look at the week’s images!

Jul22

22-JUL-2013: Texture image of a fuzzy throw on the couch.

23-JUL-2013: Some spoils from last week's trip to Boston.

23-JUL-2013: Some spoils from last week’s trip to Boston.

24-JUL-2013: Deuces wild in my building's parking garage.

24-JUL-2013: Deuces wild in my building’s parking garage.

25-JUL-2013: Sometimes you just need to go somewhere to stop moving — like Room 47 of the Parker Palm Springs for the next couple nights.

25-JUL-2013: Sometimes you just need to go somewhere to stop moving — like Room 47 of the Parker Palm Springs for the next couple nights.

26-JUL-2013: Sometimes you look up from a chaise lounge and see this.

26-JUL-2013: Sometimes you look up from a chaise lounge and see this.

27-JUL-2013: Couldn't do better than this water-level Instagram shot on a hot Saturday in Palm Springs.

27-JUL-2013: Couldn’t do better than this water-level Instagram shot on a hot Saturday in Palm Springs.

28-JUL-2013: Back at Dodger Stadium on a perfect Sunday afternoon. Yasiel Puig would eventually hit a "slide-off" HR to beat the Reds 1-0.

28-JUL-2013: Back at Dodger Stadium on a perfect Sunday afternoon. Yasiel Puig would eventually hit a “slide-off” HR to beat the Reds 1-0.

Dec 17

Response November: Holly Madison and eDiets; Second-Screen Challenges and Media’s Continuing Struggle

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The November issue of Response has been available online since just prior to Thanksgiving. Hopefully, if you’re one of our readers, you’ve taken a look at it, but — if not — here’s some back story on the cover feature highlighting As Seen on TV Inc. CEO Ronald C. Pruett, Jr., and eDiets entrepreneur Holly Madison, as well as a number of the other key pieces in the issue:

  • The November cover story is a great combination of old friends and new relationships. Pruett was first featured on the cover of Response during his stint with Liberty Medical. He then went on to serve on our Advisory Board during his time at the helm of Mercury Media Holdings. Now, at ASTV, parent of online marketer eDiets, Pruett returns to the cover spotlight with former “Girls Next Door” star Madison, whose post-pregnancy diet plan is part of a new direction for eDiets. With the help of eDiets’ PR firm and some more social chats with Pruett, it feels as if I was able to wrangle this story at the perfect moment. Pruett’s vision for where eDiets is headed in the crowded online/TV diet space is intriguing. And how eDiets structured its deal and relationship with Madison is a new step in the world of celebrity “endorsers.” If you missed the link above, here it is once again: For eDiets, Mobile and Social Are No Fad
  • The multi-screen universe continues to play a bigger role in marketing plans, and with the holiday season upon us, we took the time to look deeper into strategies to best take advantage of consumers’ continuing use of second and third screens. One of Response’s most veteran freelancers, Bridget McCrea, spoke with some leading media agency insiders (representing Havas Edge, Cannella Response Television and Icon Media Direct) about how to make campaigns work in this new media environment. If you missed the link to their thoughts above, here it is: Screens, Screens … Everywhere Screens
  • The InterMedia Group of Companies returns to the DRMA Spotlight in this update. Company leader Bob Yallen was featured in the May issue DRMA Spotlight, and we doubled back with him to find out how 2013 has been for InterMedia and the rest of the DR industry. If you missed the link above to this special update, click here: Staying a Step Ahead. If you’d like to watch the original video interview from the May issue with Yallen, click here: DRMA Spotlight Video — InterMedia
  • The lowlights kept on coming in this month’s quarterly media billings results, as the short-form DRTV market’s 2Q 2013 billings continued the year’s horror show. A massive 25-percent free fall sucked nearly $300 million away from the total’s registered in second-quarter 2012. When will the bad news end for 2013 DR media billings? For a full look at all the categorical and outlet results, here’s the link: Short-Form DRTV Media Billings’ 2013 Tumble Continues
  • Speaking of media market issues, my Editor’s Note this month asks for answers to 2013’s media malaise? A year ago, in the same space, I raved about the power of the DR media marketplace. Well, what an unwelcome difference a year makes. How can the market get back on track as we head into 2014? Here’s the link: Media Malaise Presents Big Challenges

Thanks again for reading and interacting with Response!